American Idol Season 24 returned on Monday night, as the Top 5 took the stage for two performances each. Former Idol judges Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson appeared as guest judge and guest mentor, respectively. At the end of the night, the Top 3 singers were revealed ahead of next week’s finale.
American Idol Returns with DWTS Crossover
Monday’s new episode of American Idol had two separate themes. First, the Top 5 sang on stage while pro dancers from ABC’s Dancing with the Stars (Jan Ravnik, Witney Carson, Gleb Savchenko, and Rylee Arnold) performed with them. Later, the singers teamed up with former contestants from Season 5 of the show, 20 years later.
First up was Keyla Richardson, who performed “River Deep – Mountain High” by Ike & Tina Turner, prompting Paula Abdul to tell her, “Your vocal range is like a weapon.” Luke Bryan called the performance “super entertaining.” Later, Keyla teamed up with Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks to sing “Living for the City” by Stevie Wonder, as Carrie Underwood complimented their team-up.
Hannah Harper also impressed during Monday’s show, first singing “Fever” by Peggy Lee. Abdul told her that no one else in the competition sounds like her, saying she’s “lovely to listen to.” Later, Hannah teamed up with Season 5 alum Kellie Pickler on a duet of “A Broken Wing” by Martina McBride. Lionel Richie called it a “perfect voice blend,” while Underwood said it was “magical.”
The judges were also stunned by Jordan McCullough, who started the show with a performance of “Footprints in the Sand” by Leona Lewis, with Abdul calling him an “otherworldly” talent and Underwood complimenting his “natural stage presence.” Bryan called Jordan “one of the best singers we’ve ever had.” Later, he teamed up with Season 5 contestant Elliott Yamin to sing “A Song for You” by Donny Hathaway. The duet made Abdul cry, as she called it a “masterclass.”
At the end of Monday’s show, the competition was narrowed down from the Top 5 to the Top 3, as America’s vote decided which contestants would move on to next week’s finale and which ones would be eliminated.
Ryan Seacrest announced that the Top 3 contestants for American Idol Season 24 are Hannah Harper, Keyla Richardson, and Jordan McCullough. That meant that Braden Rumfelt and Chris Tungseth were eliminated from the competition.
During the show, Chris performed “Northern Attitude” by Noah Kahan, and he later sang a duet of “The Thunder Rolls” by Garth Brooks with Season 5 contestant Bucky Covington. Bryan said it was “one of the best vocals I’ve heard you deliver.”
As for Braden, he started the show singing “Lose Control” by Teddy Swims, and he later returned to the stage to sing a duet of “The Show Must Go On” by Queen with Season 5 contestant Paris Bennett. Bryan praised his “stank face,” while Underwood said the two singers were “feeding off of each other.”
Do you agree with the results of this week’s vote? Who are you voting for heading into next week’s American Idol Season 24 finale? Let us know in the comments below.
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
